Solar-driven Danish automated drinking water treatment unit now available in Bangladesh
Local communities, especially those living in remote and rural areas in southwest Bangladesh face challenges in accessing drinking water.
One such community is in Pachim Khada village under Sharankhola upazila of Bagerhat district in southwest of Bangladesh.
The community in this rural and climate-vulnerable area is located in one of the most sensitive places regarding access to drinking water.
Based on local context and needs, a solar-driven compact and automated drinking water treatment unit, called UCD, has been implemented by the Danish companies -- SUEZ Water and Vand og Teknik.
These were said at the presentation of a solar-driven compact and automated drinking water treatment unit, UCD, currently operational in Bangladesh. The programme was jointly orgainsed by the Denmark embassy in Bangladesh and Danish companies, Suez Water and Vand og Teknik, said a press release of Danish embassy.
As we celebrate 50 years of friendly bilateral relations in 2022, I am delighted to see that concrete impactful actions are being taken to further augment our bilateral relations for the future to come
The UCD technology, designed by SUEZ, is a compact prefabricated water treatment plant, which can be deployed even in the remotest locations. The plant at Sharankhola has a production capacity of 15 cubic metre per hour.
The water is pumped from a rainwater harvesting pond located next to the project site.
The UCD treats the surface water of the pond to provide drinking water of a quality that is in compliance with the standards required by Bangladesh and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Before its deployment, the population in this village had no access to safe drinking water.
The entire plant operates on solar energy, a sustainable energy source. It uses solar panels located on the roof and a battery system to extend the operation time at night. The plant does not use any other fuel.
This drinking water plant has been deployed in Bangladesh within a project supported by the Danish government’s Export Credit Agency (EKF), ‘EKF Green Accelerator’ fund.
Though the UCD products have been successfully installed in many parts of the world, including countries in Africa and Asia, it is the first time that this technology is implemented in Bangladesh.
“As we celebrate 50 years of friendly bilateral relations in 2022, I am delighted to see that concrete impactful actions are being taken to further augment our bilateral relations for the future to come,” said the Danish ambassador to Bangladesh Winnie Estrup Petersen.
She also commented that this initiative is aligned to Denmark’s triple bottom line approach that prioritises people, planet and profit.
The Danish companies SUEZ and Vand og Teknik are very happy to successfully conclude this full-scale Danish funded demonstration of safe and sustainable water supply.
“We now invite interested stakeholders to work with us in order to use the proven UCD concept to assist vulnerable communities in Bangladesh,” said Per Krøyer Kristensen, managing director of SUEZ Water A/S.
The Danish companies are available to assist interested stakeholders to implement UCD to assist such vulnerable communities in Bangladesh.